Benitez insists Chelsea will be title contender this season

Benitez believes Chelsea can still win the Premier League this season.

Commitments at the World Club Cup here mean leaders Manchester United can go a whopping 13 points clear of third-placed Blues this weekend if they beat Sunderland.

But bullish boss Benitez believes victory over Brazilians Corinthians in tomorrow's final will send a message to Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford that his side are back in business on every front.

The former Liverpool manager said: "Before I came here I had a lot of other offers.

"I could be working in Spain or Italy or China, earning massive money at a club in the middle of the table for 10 years.

"But I was waiting for a top side. I want to compete to win trophies.

"People have asked me questions about whether it's a two-horse race between the two Manchester clubs.

"But realistically, with three points for a game, if you win two or three in a row you have more confidence.

"If we win here and play like we did on Thursday, with the quality going forward and the right balance in defence, we can go on a run.

"How many games? I don't know. Others can do that, too. But after three or four wins in a row, the confidence can be high. So why not?

"At Liverpool, we had 11 games, drew against Arsenal and won the other 10. So why can't we do the same here? To win here would be a big boost to everyone and we would go home with a lot of confidence. It will be different, because Corinthians will be more compact than Monterrey."